Vice President Joe Biden praised Mayor Michael Bloomberg's gun control efforts, hailing them as "contagious" in the nationwide fight to reduce gun violence.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg receives the Leadership in Public Service award from Vice President Joe Biden at the Clinton Global Citizen Awards ceremony on Wednesday.Credit: Ramin Talaie/Getty Images

Vice President Joe Biden praised Mayor Michael Bloomberg's gun control efforts, hailing them as "contagious" in the nationwide fight to reduce gun violence.

"Your passion about reducing gun violence in this country is something that has become contagious," Biden said at the Clinton Global Citizen Awards ceremony Wednesday night.

"One of the things that President Obama said at the memorial for the victims of the Navy Yard shooting is that change isn't going to come on this issue from Washington, it's going to come to Washington," Biden said before presenting Bloomberg with the Leadership in Public Service award. "And when it does it will be ... because Mike has sent it."